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Age of assessment |
Details of assessment |
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Key Stage 3 assessment, end of key stage, students aged 14. |
Statutory assessment in English, Welsh, mathematics and science involves: Statutory teacher assessment against the attainment targets in English, Welsh, mathematics, science, history, geography, design and technology, information technology, modern foreign languages, art, music and physical education. Optional externally set and marked tests in English (two tests); Welsh, where Welsh is a student's first language (two tests); mathematics (includes a mental mathematics test; one test paper in which no calculators are allowed; and one in which calculators are permitted); and science (two tests). The external tests which were previously statutory during this phase became optional in 2006. |
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Key Stage 4 assessment, end of key stage, age 16. |
Assessment is usually by General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examinations in National Curriculum subjects. There is an increasing range of specialist or vocational qualifications available at this level, alongside Entry Level qualifications for students performing below the level of GCSEs or similar qualifications. Achievement of students not entered for any of the above external examinations is by teacher assessment at the end of the key stage. |
The Intermediate and Foundation Welsh Baccalaureate qualifications
The Intermediate Welsh Baccalaureate Diploma qualification has recently completed its pilot phase and the National Assembly for Wales (NAfW) has decided that the 'Welsh Bac' qualification should be made available at Intermediate levels to all students in post-16 education in Wales. The roll-out is being introduced in stages from September 2007. The Intermediate Welsh Bac is pitched at the same level as GCSE A*-C grades and, although the Intermediate Baccalaureate is normally a two-year course, students may also pursue it over one year where, for example, credit is given to experiences already undertaken and qualifications already gained which form part of the Welsh Baccalaureate qualification. The pilot project included development, implementation and evaluation of the pilot qualification. An Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate qualification has also been piloted; this too is being introduced nationally on a gradual basis from September 2007 (see section 6.4). A new foundation-level Welsh Baccalaureate for 14- to 19-year-olds also began to be piloted from September 2006. This qualification is being piloted at Key Stage 4, as well as in post-16 provision. 198 211
National assessment during this phase of education is organised within the framework of the statutory curriculum and its key stages.
Assessment in Key Stage 3, students aged 11-14
Statutory National Curriculum assessment (in the form of teacher assessment) takes place at the end of Key Stage 3, students aged 14.3, 6
In addition, the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS) develops optional assessment materials (OAMs) to support teacher assessment in selected subjects at any point during Key Stage 3. (OAMs are also available for use during Key Stages 1 and 2.) The materials cover the programmes of study of the National Curriculum subjects and are structured to allow teachers to assess students and record the outcomes, which can be used as part of the school's portfolio of work in the individual subjects. The aim of OAMs is to lead to greater consistency in teacher assessment and provide comparable information about students' progress.112
Evaluation of students at the end of Key Stage 4 is normally by the main external examination for lower secondary school students, aged 16, the GCSE examination. The achievement of students who are not entered for a GCSE examination in a statutory curriculum subject (or for other qualifications available at this stage) is generally measured by teacher assessment at the end of the key stage and recorded on the student's 'Progress File' (record of achievement). 59
GCSEs in applied subjects are also available in eight vocational areas: art and design; business; engineering; health and social care; information and communications technology (ICT); leisure and tourism; manufacturing; and science. GCSEs in applied subjects are equivalent to two traditional/general GCSEs in terms of size and demand.162
Entry-level awards (or Entry Level Qualifications, ELQs) are qualifications which have been approved for those 16-year-old students who, on reaching compulsory school leaving age, are judged not to be ready for GCSEs or similar qualifications. Entry-level awards have been available for use for students from around the age of 14+ since September 1996, and are pitched at level 3 and below in the eight-level National Curriculum assessment scale (see 6.3.6). They aim to encourage students and to offer progression to higher-level awards. The Certificate of Educational Achievement (CoEA) is an example of a qualification available at this level.45
Entry-level awards (Entry Level Qualifications, ELQs) are available in a range of subjects (such as art, design and technology, English, French, geography, German, history, information technology (IT), mathematics, physical education (PE) and music) and in vocational areas, such as retail, travel and tourism, and catering. In addition, in Wales, entry-level awards in Welsh and Welsh Second Language are also available. The Department for Children Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS) (formerly ACCAC, see below) is responsible for accrediting ELQs.59 , 84 , 93
The Learning and Skills Act 20001 regulates the qualifications that maintained (publicly-funded) schools may offer students of compulsory school age. The purpose is to ensure that examination arrangements support curricular objectives, particularly those of the statutory curriculum. It is also the UK Government's objective that there should be sufficient, but not excessive, choice from high quality syllabuses. In Wales, the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS) is responsible for approving qualifications.20 , 80
The former Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales (ACCAC) (see below) was the regulatory body for the GCSE. That is, ACCAC set or approved national grade standards and was responsible for approving syllabuses/specifications and syllabus criteria, and for monitoring the quality assurance and assessment arrangements of awarding bodies to ensure that they worked fairly and effectively.20 , 104 ACCAC's responsibilities now rest with the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS).
The awarding bodies for GCSE examinations in Wales (which are responsible for syllabus/ specification development, centre approval, standardisation of marking and quality assurance) are the GCSE examining groups (the EdExcel Foundation; Oxford, Cambridge and Royal Society for the Arts, OCR; Welsh Joint Education Committee, WJEC; and the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance, AQA), each of which may offer several syllabuses for each subject.59 The choice of examining group and syllabus is a matter for the individual school, and schools may choose from different examining groups for different subjects. The examining groups appoint the examiners and standardise the system of marking and grading. The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) is the central body comprising all the awarding bodies/examining groups. This acts as a forum for the discussion of matters of common interest, and as the coordinator of the awarding bodies'/examining groups' activities for those matters on which they are expected to adopt uniform policies. The examining groups are also subject to a mandatory code of practice for GCSE to ensure consistency in the examining process across different syllabuses and examining groups.100,20,45
Until April 2006, ACCAC was the National Assembly for Wales' principal advisory body on all matters affecting the school curriculum, examinations, assessment and vocational qualifications, and was charged with keeping all developments in these matters under review. ACCAC also advised on appropriate programmes of research and development.104
ACCAC was responsible for:
In April 2006, the functions of ACCAC were merged with those of the Department for Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DELLS) (now the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills - DCELLS).
The QCA publication 'The Statutory Regulation of External Qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland' sets out the arrangements for the statutory regulation of external qualifications in order to ensure that they are fit for purpose, command public confidence and that consistent standards are being maintained across awarding bodies over time. External qualifications that meet the statutory criteria are accredited into the current National Qualifications Framework. 210
Once external qualifications ahve been accredited by the regulators they are placed on qualifications frameworks. There are a number of qualifications frameworks which incorporate Welsh qualifications. The National Qualifications Framework (NQF) is a three-country regulated framework for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It includes both general academic and vocational qualifications at nine levels as follows:
For more information on the NQF see:
http://www.qcda.gov.uk/5967.aspx
The Credit and Qualifications Framework for Wales (CQFW) applies solely to Wales. It began to be introduced in 2003 and is gradually bringing all qualifications within a single unifying structure. The CQFW utilises three common principles: expression of achievement as learning outcomes; the demands made by that learning on the learner (level) and the volume of learning achievements (credit). It also includes nine levels indicating the degree of difficulty. They range from 'Entry' (entry level qualifications) to level 8 (doctoral qualifications). Further information is available online.
The QCF is a new framework for England, Wales and Northern Ireland which aims to enable learners to gain qualifications at their own pace along flexible routes by awarding credit for qualifications and units. All vocational qualifications will be placed on the QCF by the end of 2010 and it is expected that, in future, academic qualifications will also be placed on the QCF; until that time, the NQF remains the framework for all qualifications. The QCF will therefore provide the organising structure for all qualifications available in schools, including general qualifications, but to date the focus has been on vocational qualifications. It is intended that in Wales, the QCF will form part of the existing CQFW.
The aims of the QCF are to simplify the current complicated system by presenting qualifications in a way which is easier to understand, to recognise more learning through the award of qualifications and to instil more flexibility into the system through the use of units (components of qualifications) and credit awarded for achieving those units. Like the NQF, every unit and qualification in the 9-level QCF has a level between Entry level and level 8 which indicates the degree of difficulty. Level 2 is equivalent to GCSEs (grades A* to C), level 3 is equivalent to A-levels, and level 8 is equivalent to a doctorate. Every unit and qualification also has a credit value (with one credit representing 10 hours of study). There are three sizes of qualifications in the QCF: Awards (1 to 12 credits); Certificates (13 to 36 credits); Diplomas (37 credits or more). In the framework, it is possible to have an award at level 1 or an award at level 8, because the qualification type ('award, certificate, diploma') represents the size of a qualification, not how difficult it is.
For more information on the QCF, see:
http://www.qcda.gov.uk/8150.aspx
NB. The previously statutory Key Stage 3 externally set and marked tests became optional from 2006, and have been replaced by moderated teacher assessment of all subjects towards the end of the key stage.
Before 2006, when the Key Stage 3 external tests were statutory, the purpose of this statutory external assessment was cited as follows:
Assessment arrangements constitute a formal part of the compulsory curriculum. Statutory assessment and testing take place in relation to the National Curriculum Subject Orders, and therefore aim to chart students' attainment in those subjects. Although the tests, as opposed to teacher assessment, can cover only a limited range within each subject, they still set out to provide a valid assessment of that range. They are therefore curriculum-based tests. This makes them different in character from either intelligence tests or aptitude tests. They set out to assess student achievement, rather than their potential.130
The overriding purpose of National Curriculum assessment is to contribute to raising educational achievement. Assessment and testing should provide the information about students' attainment which schools, teachers, managers and students themselves need to direct their efforts into improved teaching and learning. It must also provide parents and the public with information on the quality of the education being provided. The efficacy of any assessment and testing system designed for purposes other than public certification should therefore be judged by the extent to which it provides this essential information.130
The Task Group on Assessment and Testing (TGAT) appointed by the Government in 1987 and the 1993 Dearing Interim Report outlined four purposes for national assessment: formative, summative, evaluative and diagnostic130.
The purpose of summative assessment is to provide schools and parents with easily intelligible information about individual students' attainment. This needs to be in relation to both national standards (that is, National Curriculum criteria) and national performance (that is, distribution of results).130
The purpose of formative/diagnostic assessment is to provide detailed information about student attainment so that future learning can be targeted appropriately and students helped to make progress.130
The gathering of data for summative purposes allows two further desirable objectives to be met. First, aggregated data on individual student performance enables the provision of reliable information to parents, prospective parents, employers and other interested parties, so that school performance can be evaluated. Second, aggregated school data can provide an overall picture of local and national attainment. This enables the performance of the education system as a whole to be monitored so that improvements can be targeted and resources directed wisely in the context of strategic planning.130
The 1993 Dearing Interim Report further reaffirmed the role of national testing and assessment in contributing to external accountability, as results from tests and assessments are intended to provide important information for parents and the public to help them judge the quality of the education being provided.130
Until 2006, performance data in the form of end of Key Stage 3 test results was used by teachers to, for example:
The Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS) also develops optional assessment materials (OAMs) to support teacher assessment in selected subjects at any point during Key Stage 3. The materials cover the programmes of study of the statutory curriculum subjects and are structured to allow teachers to assess students and record the outcomes, which can be used as part of the school's portfolio of work in the individual subjects. The aim is to lead to greater consistency in teacher assessment and provide comparable information about students' progress.112
The Key Stage 3 OAMs in English, for example, are designed to:
Exemplification materials are also provided to schools. These are examples of what the standards set out in the level descriptions (see sections 6.3.5 and 6.3.6) for certain subjects mean in practice for students.
In 1988, the GCSE replaced the old 16+ examinations: the General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level examination (GCE 'O' Level) and the Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE), which targeted different ability groups. The objectives of the (new) GCSE examinations were to:
The GCSE remains the main examination taken by almost all students at the end of their compulsory school years.22
Introduced in September 1996, and designed to take only half the study time of a full GCSE, the GCSE Short Course can be taught over one or two years and counts as half a GCSE. GCSE Short Courses can be used in different ways. They can, for example, enable more able students to be stretched by taking more subjects, such as a second or third modern foreign language; or, if other subject choices prevent a student from taking a full GCSE, they can still gain a GCSE Short Course qualification in subjects such as information technology (IT), physical education (PE) or German. In addition, students who need extra time to develop can cover a GCSE Short Course in the time taken by a full GCSE course.127 , 59
GCSEs in applied subjects are designed to provide an introduction to a broad vocational area, enabling progression to further study or training or employment. Eight vocational areas are available - art and design, business, engineering, health and social care, ICT, leisure and tourism, manufacturing, and science. Although GCSEs in applied subjects are explicitly designed to be taught at Key Stage 4, they are also available to students in post-16 education. However, the GCSE in applied science in Wales is only available for students in post-16 (post-compulsory) study, as it does not meet the statutory curriculum requirements for Key Stage 4 science 162
A series of entry-level awards (Entry Level Qualifications, ELQs) has been developed (see 6.3.1). These are designed for students aged 14+ who are not served by GCSEs or similar qualifications. That is, they are intended for those students who are working at a level below GCSE. Entry-level awards (Entry Level Qualifications, ELQs) are designed to form the first tier in the national framework of qualifications (see 6.3.1) and to provide progression towards GCSEs and other qualifications. The awards, available in academic and applied subjects (including Welsh and Welsh Second Language in Wales), aim to recognise the achievements of students both in mainstream and in special educational needs education.140 , 59
Statutory assessment applies to maintained schools (publicly-funded schools) only. Private, that is independent schools, are encouraged, but not required, to take part in the assessment arrangements at the end of Key Stage 3.131
Current assessment arrangements are that all students approaching the end of the key stage are assessed by their teachers in all statutory curriculum subjects, by a system of moderated teacher assessment. Prior to 2006, all students approaching the end of Key Stage 3 took externally set and marked tests in addition. These tests became optional in 2006.
Before 2006, all students in the final year of Key Stage 3 (normally in Year 9 and aged 14 by the end of the school year, 31 August) had to take external tests in mathematics, science, Welsh (in Welsh-speaking schools or classes), or English . However, those students who were assessed by their teachers as working at level 3 or below (of the National Curriculum eight-level scale, see 6.3.6) could be exempted from the tests; teacher assessment was the sole statutory requirement for these students.99 , 5
Assessment using the optional assessment materials (OAMs), developed by the Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS) for use in Key Stage 3, is optional and is decided locally.112
The examination most commonly taken at the end of Key Stage 4 is the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). The GCSE consists of a range of examinations in single subjects, and there are no regulations governing the minimum or maximum number of subjects to be taken by a student at any one time. However, schools are expected to enter students for GCSE or GCSE Short Course qualifications in those subjects in which they are expected to achieve a grade G or better (see 6.3.6).45 , 59
For students working at level 3 or below of the National Curriculum eight-level scale (see 6.3.6), other nationally recognised qualifications in a range of National Curriculum subjects (including Welsh and Welsh Second Language in Wales) and applied/vocational subject areas have been available for use since September 1996. See sections 6.3.1 and 6.3.2 in addition.59
Statutory assessment takes place at or near the end of the key stage.45
Since 2006, statutory assessment arrangements for the National Curriculum have consisted of moderated teacher assessment only. All students must be assessed by their teacher at the end of Key Stage 3 in all statutory curriculum subjects (see section 5.3.2). In reaching a judgement, teachers use their knowledge of a student's work over time, including written, practical and oral work in the classroom, homework and results of other school examinations or tests. The aim is for a rounded judgement, which is based on knowledge of how that student performs across a range of contexts and takes into account strengths and weaknesses of that student's performance.134 ,45
The Key Stage 3 tests, which were statutory until 2006, took place during one week in the month of May. They were tiered, that is, there were different papers for different ranges of ability.117 Schools chose the most appropriate start time for each test paper within the morning and afternoon sessions. Within each school, all students took the tests simultaneously, unless unavoidable practical difficulties made this impossible. No student could take any of the tests before the scheduled dates in the Government-set timetable.119
OAMs have been developed to support teacher assessment in selected subjects at any point during Key Stage 3. The materials cover the programmes of study of the statutory curriculum subjects and are structured to allow teachers to assess students and record the outcomes, which can be used as part of the school's portfolio of work in the individual subjects.112
There are no statutory assessment arrangements at the end of Key Stage 4 as nationally recognised qualifications are taken by the majority of students on completion of this key stage.45
The examination most commonly taken at the end of Key Stage 4 is the GCSE. The GCSE may be taken in a range of single subjects, or in combined subject options, such as the GCSE in business studies and information technology (IT). GCSE Short Courses are also now available in many subjects, excluding English, mathematics and science. These cover fewer topics than the full GCSE and count as half a GCSE qualification. There are no regulations governing the minimum or maximum number of subjects (GCSE or GCSE Short Course) to be taken by a student at any one time. Accordingly, a certificate is issued listing the grade a candidate has achieved in each subject.127 , 59
Each GCSE syllabus/specification must include a scheme of assessment which complies with national regulations. The Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS) is the regulatory body for the GCSE in Wales. That is, it sets or approves national grade standards, is responsible for approving syllabuses/specifications and syllabus criteria, and for monitoring the quality assurance and assessment arrangements of awarding bodies to ensure that they work fairly and effectively.59 , 104
Schemes of assessment are traditionally based on one or more terminal (final) exams. Examining groups now also offer modular syllabuses. However, all schemes of assessment must include an externally set and externally marked terminal examination. For most subjects this is normally allocated a weighting of at least 80 per cent (at least 50 per cent in modular syllabuses). Schemes of assessment may also include coursework and modular syllabuses may include end-of module tests. The weightings which may be allocated to these different components vary subject by subject.137
Since 1998, some GCSE subjects have been examined by tier; that is, there are different examination papers which are targeted at specific ability groups. For subjects where evidence suggests that it is possible to set questions in examination papers which can apply to the whole ability range (history, music, and art, for example) there may only be one tier. For others, there is a foundation tier covering grades G to C and a higher tier for Grades D to A* (see 6.3.6). The tiering arrangements for GCSE Short Courses match those for the full GCSEs in the same subject.120
GCSE examinations usually take place in May and June.27
GCSEs in applied subjects consist of three units. Two of the units for each qualification are assessed via an internally marked portfolio of work and one of the units is assessed through an external assessment. 162
Other nationally recognised qualifications include those designed for students working at level 3 or below of the National Curriculum eight-level scale (see 6.3.6). These entry-level awards or Entry Level Qualifications (ELQs) are available in a range of National Curriculum subjects (including Welsh and Welsh Second Language in Wales) and vocational/applied subject areas (see 6.3.1). Assessment usually combines written, oral and practical tasks (dependent on the subject area), along with coursework and end of course tests. The schemes of assessment must include externally set assessments which are externally marked and conducted under controlled conditions, and which must contribute at least 50 per cent to the overall award.118 , 93
The basis for judging students' levels of attainment is the same as at Key Stages 1 and 2 (see section 6.2.5). That is, level descriptions - summary statements indicating the types and range of performance which students working at a particular level of the National Curriculum should characteristically demonstrate - are used. Since their introduction in 1995, teachers have had to judge which level 'best fits' a student's performance. There are eight level descriptions per attainment target (see 6.3.6).130 , 130
The aim is for a rounded judgement which:
The awarding bodies for GCSE examinations in Wales are the EdExcel Foundation; the Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR); the Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC); and the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA). These awarding bodies are also the GCSE examining groups.45
The GCSE examining groups appoint the examiners and standardise the system of marking and grading. The Department for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS) is the regulatory body for GCSE examinations and is responsible for scrutinising procedures to ensure standards are maintained. It produces a mandatory code of practice for GCSE (and GCE 'A' Level and GCE 'AS' Level examinations), which is designed to promote quality, consistency, accuracy and fairness in the examining process across different syllabuses and examining bodies. This code of practice sets out the responsibilities of the awarding bodies in respect of the following:
Key Stage 4 - GCSEs in applied subjects
The national awarding bodies for the GCSE in applied subjects are the same as those for the GCSE, namely the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA), the Edexcel Foundation, Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC) and Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR).80
The National Curriculum sets standards of achievement in each subject for students aged 5 to 14. For most subjects these standards range from level 1 to 8. The standards have been designed so that a typical student will move up one level approximately every two years:35
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Exceptional performance |
well above expected level |
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level 8 |
exceeded expected level |
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level 7 |
exceeded expected level |
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level 6 |
well above expected level |
achieved expected level |
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level 5 |
exceeded expected level |
achieved expected level |
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level 4 |
well above expected level |
achieved expected level |
working towards expected level |
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level 3 |
exceeded expected level |
working towards expected level |
working towards expected level |
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level 2 |
achieved expected level |
working towards expected level |
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level 1 |
working towards expected level |
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age |
7 years |
11 years |
14 years |
Attainment targets
Attainment targets define the expected standards of student performance in terms of level descriptions. They provide the basis for judging students' attainment in particular aspects of a subject at the end of each key stage. Some subjects have several attainment targets which relate to aspects of the programmes of study.45 , 105
The results of students' test results are expressed in terms of the National Curriculum eight-level scale.105
There are eight level descriptions per attainment target for all National Curriculum subjects. Level descriptions are used to make summative judgements about a student's performance at the end of a key stage. Level descriptions allow judgements to be made against attainment targets, and indicate the types and range of performance that a student working at a particular level characteristically should demonstrate over a period of time.45
By the end of Key Stage 3, the expected performance of a typical student will normally be in the range 3 to 7. Level 8 is available for very able students and, to help teachers differentiate exceptional performance at Key Stage 3, a description above level 8 is provided.135, 45
All assessments are criterion-referenced. There are no quotas set for each of the National Curriculum levels. There are no underlying assumptions about the proportion of students who should be at any particular level. Proportions are determined entirely by how students' attainments measure up to the standards of the National Curriculum.35
Teachers are required to summarise their teacher assessment at the end of Key Stage 3, for each child, in the form of:
The results from teacher assessment can be reported alongside the optional test results for English, Welsh, science and mathematics. 125
Assessment of students at the end of Key Stage 4 (age 16) is linked to the main external examination for secondary school students at the end of compulsory education: the GCSE.45
The results are reported on an eight-point scale: A*, A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Candidates who fail to reach the minimum standard for grade G are recorded as 'U' for 'unclassified' and do not receive a certificate.59, 45
GCSE Short Course examinations (see 6.3.2) often use the same questions and examination papers as conventional GCSEs in the same subjects. They are marked and graded to the same standards as other GCSEs.100
Each GCSE examining group in Wales has a governing council which is responsible for ensuring that appropriate procedures are set in place to ensure that standards are maintained in each subject from year to year, across different syllabuses.100
The process for standardising marking includes the following steps:
At the end of the marking and moderating period the grade boundaries are set. This procedure includes the following steps:
Even before candidates take the examinations examiners will have attended a standardisation meeting where they are trained to mark according to a strict marking scheme. The system will have been worked out in advance at the same time as the questions were set. Every examiner's marking will be subject to a random check by a senior examiner at least three times. If any inconsistencies in marking are discovered, the whole batch is remarked by someone else. Grades are also compared with the forecasts that schools and colleges supply to (examining) boards. Apparent inconsistencies will trigger a further check for those particular candidates . Even when results have been issued, the checking continues. If schools have reason to doubt results, the first thing they do is ask for a clerical check or a re-mark, and even after that they can appeal.52
Awarding bodies must maintain suitable arrangements for dealing with enquiries about results and appeals.100
Students have a right of appeal if they are not satisfied with the grade they receive. Appeals must be addressed in the first instance to the appropriate awarding body. The Examinations Appeals Board (EAB) hears appeals from examination centres (on behalf of candidates), which have failed to be resolved by the awarding body's own procedures. The EAB will only hear an appeal when the entire appeals process of the awarding body concerned has been completed. This normally involves an enquiry about results, a re-mark or re-moderation, and a formal appeal hearing before the awarding body's appeals panel. 45, 91, 46 The Examinations Appeals Board website is available at http://www.theeab.org.uk/.
Since the summer of 2001, where students' examinations papers are remarked under the scheme described above and this remark reveals inaccurate marking, students' subject grades/marks may be lowered, raised or confirmed as a result. Prior to summer 2001, where papers were remarked, grades could only either be raised or confirmed.101
GCSEs in applied subjects are assessed both internally (via portfolios of work) and via external assessment, see 6.3.4. Individual results are reported on the same scale as other GCSEs - A* to G - (see above), although 'double' grades are awarded (eg. 'BB') to reflect the fact that GCSEs in applied subjects are equivalent to two (general/ academic) GCSEs.162
See sections 6.3.2 and 6.2.7 in addition.
To begin a course of two or more General Certificate of Education Advanced Level examinations (GCE 'A' Levels) (in upper secondary education, at age 16+), or similar level qualifications, most institutions require students to have a minimum of four or five General Certificate of Secondary Education qualifications (GCSEs) at grade C or above. However, in practice, students with lower grades may be accepted.20
The results of National Curriculum assessment may be used as a resource to help schools raise standards and help their students reach their full potential. Schools in Wales are required to set and publish targets each autumn for a range of indicators at the end of Key Stages 3 and 4.151
Key Stage 3 results
The national teacher assessment results for Wales are published on the Welsh Assembly Government's Stats Wales website at http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/statistics/statswales/?lang=en
GCSE results
In 2006, individual secondary school performance statistical information was again made publicly available, accessible through the National Pupil Database, which is hosted on behalf of the Welsh Assembly by the Local Government Data Unit. 218 Previously, following a consultation which took place during April-June 2001, it was agreed that secondary school performance tables identifying individual schools would no longer be published in Wales. 71 Before 2001, national tables were published reporting the achievements of 15-year-old students in all publicly-funded secondary schools across Wales. These tables, which aimed to provide a tool for parents making choices about the education of their children at secondary school and beyond, provided background information on the secondary schools, and showed, for each individual school, the achievements of students in GCSE examinations, achievements in specified vocational qualifications, and rates of authorised and unauthorised student absence.61
See above in addition.
Reporting of individual students' results to parents at Key Stages 3 and 4
Schools must send parents at least one written report every school year. During the course of the year, parents must be sent a required minimum of information about:
Reporting of individual students' results to parents at the end of Key Stage 4
Schools are also required to provide the following information at the end of Key Stage 4 (age 16):
See section 6.3.7, Use of results to inform parental choice, in addition.
Return of examination scripts
Marked examination papers (scripts) for all GCSE examinations can be made available to students. There is a charge (to students) for this service.105
In 1999, the proportion of students who, at the end of Key Stage 3, aged around 14, achieved level 5/6 on the eight-level scale (see 6.3.6) for the National Curriculum core subjects (English, Welsh in Welsh-speaking schools and classes, mathematics and science) in combination was: 47 per cent for teacher assessment results and 45 per cent for tasks and tests.65 In 2000, in Welsh and mathematics between 60 and 70 per cent of students achieved level 5 or better. Performance in English and science was around 60 per cent.66
In the 2002 Key Stage 3 tests and tasks, 61 per cent of students achieved level 5 or above in English, 71 per cent in Welsh, 62 per cent in mathematics, and 67 per cent in science. In 2003, results were 63 per cent, 74 per cent, 68 per cent and 69 per cent respectively. (National Assembly for Wales Statistical Directorate. Statistical First Release SDR 61/2003.)
In the 2005 Key Stage 3 tests and teacher assessment, 67 per cent of students achieved level 5 or above in English (in both tests and teacher assessment); 75 per cent in Welsh (in both tests and teacher assessment); 71 per cent in the mathematics test and 73 per cent in teacher assessment in mathematics; and 71 per cent in the science test and 72 per cent in teacher assessment in science. 219 In the 2006 Key Stage 3 teacher assessments, 68 per cent of students achieved level 5 or above in English, 72 per cent in Welsh, 72 per cent in mathematics, and 73 per cent in science. 222
In 1999, 92 per cent of students taking General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examinations in their final year of compulsory education (aged 15-16) gained at least one grade G qualification or better. The proportion achieving five or more GCSE A* to C grades was 48 per cent and the proportion achieving five or more GCSE qualifications at grades A* to G was 83 per cent. (Each of these figures showed an improvement on previous years.) (Section 6.3.6 explains the GCSE grading system.)
In 2000, 49 per cent of students gained five or more GCSE passes at grades A* to C, or the vocational equivalent. The proportion of students achieving five or more passes at grades A* to G was 85 per cent.65
In 2005, the percentage of young people who achieved five GCSE passes at grades A*-C rose to 52 per cent. The proportion achieving five A*-G passes was 85 per cent. Those achieving at least a grade C in English/Welsh, maths and science was 38 per cent. 219 In 2006, the percentage achieving five GCSE passes at grades A*-C rose to 54 per cent, with the proportion achieving five A*-G passes at 86 per cent. Those achieving at least a grade C in English/Welsh, maths and science rose to 40 per cent. 222 In 2007, the overall GCSE pass rate (grades A*-G) was 98 per cent, with the total proportion of passes at grades A* to C at 63 per cent. 231